04/07/2025
Great info
"The natural gait for a Heeler - getting from a to b - is a trot. They can keep this up for miles. Even when working cattle, speed is only required in bursts... most droving is done at a snails pace. They mustn't run the condition off the beasts, the best is, when stock is calmly walking along"
They go for miles and miles in a trot. Keen, alert, racing when necessary.
This is what is required of them - this is what they are good at... they don't tire, they go on and on. And on...
And this is also what is healthiest for them.
Heeler are working dogs - they love to work... to do what is expected of them. To the very end.
They love to play "chucka" all day... run and get the ball and run and get the ball... at high speed... They love to race next to a bike, mountain bike, farmbike all day... high speed... they love to jump and turn and do high speed agility stunts all day... they are active and agile and do not tire easy. They CAN do all this... but is it healthy for their body?
I very often hear that Heeler are hi-energy dogs, that they need a lot of exercise. Otherwise they get destructive. This may well be - but "exercise" is something else to "wearing the dog out". If the owner loves to jog along and the Heeler can follow at a trot, great. If this is done every day in the soft sand of a beach, maybe not so good. If the owner loves to race along some tracks on his mountain bike and the dog has to run fast all the time, not too good either. If the owner plays fetch with the "chucka" once or even several times a day until the dog is tired, not good at all. The Heeler loves it, will follow and have fun... but the costs on his body will show. Eventually.
While the body of a puppy still grows it is more cartilage then stiff solid bone. We all know that jumping isn't good for the growing body. Many also know that a young dog - until fully grown - shall not be made to run too fast. But what is often overlooked is the daily play and run at the beach - in/on soft sand. This non-solid soft sand puts a massive strain on ligaments and cartilage and bones and joints... often leads to permanent damage due to abnormal wear and tear of the joints. These joints become inflamed and a cycle of cartilage damage, inflammation and pain commences. The body compensates by adapting its use of the spine or coming up with other pain avoidance techniques... which leads to further wear and tear.
This especially goes for early castrates and early spay dogs - their growth til maturity will take much longer. They also have much longer "longbones" (because growing period is longer) and this puts more strain on the ligaments - arent made for it (cruxiate tears are nearly all in early desexed dogs)
Though hip displasia is considered heritable, the environment and misuse plays a very large role. Especially when the damage is inflicted in the growth period, as a pup and young dog.
Even a dog without hip displasia can eventually show signs of it when exercised wrongly or repetitively or for too long stretches at a time. Especially if this happens before the dog is fully grown.
Please be very careful when exercising your Heeler - though they do it, love it, it doesn't mean its good for them. And always remember: Its the trotting along they love, with a bit of this and that thrown in. Variety is what counts.
Variety of exercise, mental stimulation and being a member, a part of the family. That's what counts and keeps your dog healthy and happy and without pain for as long as possible.
From memories
